Feeding devices



Jan. 18, 1966 A. SCHMERMUND 3,229,837

' FEEDING DEVICES Filed May 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zia @7071 1 A. SCHMERMUND Jan. 18, 1966 FEEDING DEVICES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 1, 1962 Jan. 18, 1966 A. SCHMERMUND 3,229,837

FEEDING DEVICES Filed May 1, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,229,837 FEEDING DEVICES Alfred Schmermund, 62 Kornerstrasse, Gevelsberg,

' Westphalia, Germany Filed May 1, 1962, Ser. No. 191,603 Claims priority, application Germany, May 2, 1961, Sch 29,646 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-312) The invention relates to feeding devices for elongated articles, such as cigarette feeding devices for cigarette packing machines.

It has been proposed to provide a cigarette feeding device for a cigarette packing machine, in which a magazine filled with cigarettes is swung from an oblique position 'into a vertical position above a supply hopper of the packing machine. Such a device has the disadvantages that driving means for a tipping arrangement for the magazine have to be provided in the region of the cigarette packing machine, and the side of the cigarette hopper facing an operator of the machine is masked by the tipping arrangement in the rhythm of the machine cycle, disturbances in the hopper being removable normally only by bringing the entire machine to a standstill and swinging the tipping arrangement out of the way.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cigarette feeding device which leaves a cigarette packing machine, or at least a hopper thereof, relatively free from access hindering mechanism.

More broadly, it is an object of the invention to provide a device for feeding elongated articles to a delivery position without substantially obstructing said delivery position.

It is another object of the invention to provide a cigarette feeding device, wherein a magazine filled with cigarettes is moved in a rectilinear path to a delivery position while, simultaneously with such movement, the

magazine is inverted about a horizontal axis.

chines, reference being had to the attached drawings,

which are given by way of example and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly broken way, of a cigarette feeding device;

' FIG. '2 is a front view of the cigarette feeding device of FIG. 1, partly in section along the line 11-11 of FIG. 1; and

'FIG. 3 is a further front view of the cigarette feeding device of FIG. 1, partly in section along the line IIIIII of FIG. 1, an abutment arrangement diagrammatically shown in FIG. 1 being omitted.

The device comprises a frame having frame members 10, 11 and 12 and base members 13 and 14, in which a horizontal conveyor is provided. The horizontal conveyor comprises a pair of chains 18 entrained over two pairs of chain wheels 28 which are mounted on shafts 21 and 22.

3,229,837 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 Between the frame members 10 a further conveyor is arranged, which extends slightly oblique of vertical. The further, oblique, conveyor comprises a pair of chains 29 entrained over two pairs of further chain wheels 28 one pair of which is mounted on a shaft 23 and the other pair of which is mounted on the shaft 22. The chains 29 are provided with a series of equi-spaced L-shaped supports 61 for the magazines 2 of cigarettes. Since the shaft 22 is common to both conveyors an intersection of the action of the conveyors is possible, whereby magazines 2 are removed from the horizontal conveyor and elevated by the oblique conveyor.

The horizontal conveyor is moved in a step-by-step manner in movements equalling the pitch of the supports 19 by a Maltese cross 46 mounted on a shaft 24, a driving crank member 48 for the Maltese cross 46 being mounted on a shaft 25. The oblique conveyor is moved in a step-by-step manner in movements equalling the pitch of the supports 61 by a Maltese cross 47 mounted on a shaft 26, a driving crank member 49 for the Maltese cross 47 being mounted on the shaft 25. The shaft 22 is driven from the shaft 24 by engagement of a toothed wheel 62 provided on the shaft 24 with a toothed wheel 63 provided on the shaft 22. The shaft 27 is driven from the shaft 26 by engagement of a toothed wheel 64 provided on the shaft 26 with a toothed wheel 65 provided on the shaft 27.

The shaft 23 carries a chain wheel 37 which is driven from a chain wheel 36 on the shaft 27 by means of a chain 38. The shaft 25 is arranged for being driven by a motor M1, provided on a motor platform 72, by means of a belt 68 engaged between a pulley 67 of the shaft 25 and a pulley 66 of the motor M1.

Below the level of the shaft 23 an arrangement for lateral feeding is provided (see FIG. 3) which comprises a chain 50 entrained over two chain wheels 51 and 52. The chain wheel 51 is arranged for being driven by a motor M2 by means of a bevel gear 70. The chain 50 is provided with a dog 53 for laterally displacing a magazine 2 from the position shown in FIG. 3 in full lines and indicated by reference numeral 2' onto a guide platform 69 into the position shown in dash-dotted lines and indicated by reference numeral 2". In the position 2" the magazine 2 engages rocking members 39 which are fixedly mounted on a shaft 40 to which a crank lever 41 is secured. The crank lever 41 is operable by a connecting rod 42 which is connected to a lever 43 pivotally mounted on the shaft 26 and having a follower arm 44 which engages a cam 45 driven by the shaft 25.

By the action of the rocking members 39 a magazine 2 is moved from the slightly oblique position 2" into a vertical position indicated in FIG. 1 by reference numeral 2".

A carrier or frame arrangement 1 is provided for engaging a magazine 2 when in the position 2" and transporting it towards a supply hopper formed by side wall members 71 and front and rear wall members 31, of which the front wall member may be hingedly arranged, the supply hopper having exit chutes 35 through which cigarettes can be fed to a pushing dog 33 mounted between wall members 15 (FIGS. 1 and 2) and thus to a packing path 30 of the packing machine, an oscillatable member 32 being provided for pushing cigarettes in known manner from under the exit chutes 35.

The frame arrangement 1 is mounted by studs 4 in a slide 8 which is displaceable to and fro along guide rods 9 by pinions 57 which engage in rack-toothings 58 provided on the guide rods 9. The pinions 57 are rotatable by an intermediate pinion 55 arranged for being driven by a pinion 54 of a driving motor M4.

A motor M3 is mounted on the slide 8, a drive shaft 73 of the motor being provided with a worm 6 which engages a worm wheel 7 fixed to the frame arrangement 1. By means of the motor M3, the frame arrangement 1 is inverted during its to and fro'movement, the inverted position being shown in FIG. 1 in dash-dotted lines, components of the frame arrangement being indicated by primed reference numerals, such as 1. The frame arrangement ,1 is adapted to engage a magazine 2 when in the position 2", and for that purpose the frame arrangement 1 is provided with a pivotally mounted latching lever 20 having an operating projection 3. The latching lever 20 is controlled by means of an abutment arrangement 311, which is known per se, in such a manner that the engaged magazine 2 is retained in the frame arrangement 1 during its movement towards the supply hopper and during the inversion of the frame arrangement 1.

For preventing cigarettes from falling from the magazine 2 on inversion of the frame arrangement 1, a displaceable bar is provided on the frame arrangement 1, the bar 5 blocking the cigarettes from falling on inversion of the frame arrangement 1.

The motor M4 is controlled by a sensing arrangement (not shown) in such a manner that the frame arrangement 1 assumes a stand-by position (approximately the position shown in dash-dotted lines in FIG. 1). The sensing arrangement comprises means, for example a photoelectric cell device, for monitoring the cigarette level in the supply hopper, the motor M4 being controllable to move the frame arrangement 1 into a final position above the supply hopper only when the cigarette level in the hopper has fallen to a desired point. When the frame arrangement 1 is moved into the final position it displaces an empty preceding magazine from above the hopper onto a collecting platform 17 mounted on a support 16' from where magazines may be removed as required. A latching member 59, .pivotally mounted at a point 60 is provided for engaging the magazine 2 carried by the frame arrangement 1 and holding it in the said ,final position on movement of the frame arrangement back for engaging a fresh magazine from the position 2'. Means known per se and not shown are provided for striking the bar 5 out of its blocking position on movement of the frame arrangement 1 into the said final position, so as to allow the cigarettes in the magazine to fall as a mass into the hopper.

The device described operates as follows:

Magazines 2 of cigarettes are fed horizontally in a step by step manner by the conveyor chains 18 and the L-shaped supports 19 thereof to the further conveyor chains 29. The L-shaped supports 61 of the further conveyor chains 29 pick up the magazines 2 from the supports 19 and elevate the magazines in a step by step manner to the level of the chain 50 of the arrangement for laterally feeding the magazines 2 by means of the dog 53 into the position 2". Each magazine 2 when in the position-2" is moved from an oblique position into the vertical position 2 in which it registers with the frame arrangement 1 which has been displaced from its position indicated in FIG. 1 in full lines by the motor M4 along the guide rods 9 further towards the right hand side of FIG. 1, while the latching lever 20 was released by means of the abutment arrangement 311 cooperating in known manner with the operating projection 3. When said projection 3 disengages said abutment arrangement 311, the latching lever 20 engages behind the cigarette magazine and the motor M4 is reversed so that the frame arrangement 1 now moves along the guide rods 9 in the opposite direction, i.e. towards the left hand side of FIG. 1, the frame arrangement 1 carrying the cigarette magazine with it owing to the latching lever engaging behind the cigarette magazine- While the frame arrangement 1 travels from the right hand side towards the left hand side of FIG. 1, the motor M3 inverts the frame arrangement 1 so that it assumes the position .1. When the inverted frame arrangement moves further towards.

the left hand side of FIG. 1 and reaches the position above the supply hopper, the bar 5 of the frame arrangement 1 is moved out of its blocking position so that the cigarettes of the magazine fall as a mass into the supply hopper. The latching member 59 engages the magazine and holds it in position. Subsequently the motor M4 is again reversed so that the frame arrangement 1 is moved along the guide bars 9 towards the right hand side of FIG. 1. During this movement the frame arrangement 1 is again reversed by the motor M3, so that it assumes the position indicated in FIG. 1 in full lines in which it is ready for a next cycle of operation. The latching member 59 retains the empty magazines in position above the hopper when the frame arrangement 1 moves towards the right, the empty magazine being pushed along the, platform 17 towards the left of FIG. 1 when the frame arrangement 1 carrying the next magazine returns to the.

supply hopper during its next cycle of operation.

By providing the frame arrangement 1 acting as a carrier for the cigarettes at the level of the chain 50 and suspending it from the guides 9 it is achieved that the space,

in front of the supply hopper remains easily accessible for an operator, for example if the cigarettes in the supply hopper become clogged.

It should be clearly understood that the embodiment of the invention hereinbefore described with reference to the appended drawings is given by way of example. In fact modifications, omissions and additions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A feeding device for cigarette magazines, comprising,

in combination, a first endless conveyor constructed .and

adapted to successively transport cigarette magazines along a horizontal feed path, a second endless conveyor cooperating with said first conveyor and constructed and adapted to successively remove the magazines and elevating them obliquely to the level of an elevated feed station, a first plurality of rotatable members over which said first endless conveyor is entrained, a second plurality of rotatable members. over which said second endless conveyor is entrained, at least one rotatable member of said first plurality and at least one rotatable member of said second plurality being rotatable about a common axis, a third conveyor cooperating with said second conveyor and constructed and arranged to successively remove magazines from said second conveyor at the elevated level, a rocker arrangement for subsequently moving position, a carrier, means on said carrier for successively engaging the magazines when in their elevated .vertical position, a plurality of guide rods, said carrier being displaceably suspended from said guide rods, a first motor on said carrier for displacing said carrier along said guide rods, and a second motor on said carrier for inverting said engaging means about a horizontal axis relative ,to said guide rods while said carrier is being displacedwhereby each magazine in said carrier is turned through about a horizontal axis.

2. A feeding device for cigarette magazines, comprising, in combination, a first conveyor means constructed and adapted to successively transport magazines of cigarettes along a horizontal feed path, a second conveyor means constructed and adapted to successively remove the magazines and elevating them obliquely to the level'of an elevated feed station, a third conveyor means cooperating with said second conveyor means and constructed and arranged to successively remove magazines from said second conveyor means at the elevated level, a rocker arrangement for moving the magazines from their oblique position to their vertical position, a carrier, means on said carrier for successively engaging the magazines when in their elevated vertical position, elongated guide means, said carrier being displaceably held by said guide means, a first motor on said carrier for displacing said carrier along said guide means, and a second motor on said carrier for inverting said engaging means about a. horizontal axis relative to said guide means while said carrier is being displaced whereby each magazine in said carrier is being turned through 180 about a horizontal axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain.

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Primary Examiner.

15 GERALD M. FORLENZA, Examiner. 

1. A FEEDING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTE MAGAZINES, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST ENDLESS CONVEYOR CONSTRUCTED AND ADAPTED TO SUCCESSIVELY TRANSPORT CIGARETTE MAGAZINES ALONG A HORIZONTAL FEED PATH, A SECOND ENDLESS CONVEYOR COOPERATING WITH SAID FIRST CONVEYOR AND CONSTRUCTED AND ADAPTED TO SUCCESSIVELY REMOVE THE MAGAZINES AND ELEVATING THEM OBLIQUELY TO THE LEVEL OF AN ELEVATED FEED STATION, A FIRST PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE MEMBERS OVER WHICH SAID FIRST ENDLESS CONVEYOR IS ENTRAINED, A SECOND PLURALITY OF ROTATABLE MEMBERS OVER WHICH SAID SECOND ENDLESS CONVEYOR IS ENTRAINED, AT LEAST ONE ROTATABLE MEMBER OF SAID FIRST PLURALITY AND AT LEAST ONE ROTATABLE MEMBER OF SAID SECOND PLURALITY BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT A COMMON AXIS, A THIRD CONVEYOR COOPERATING WITH SAID SECOND CONVEYOR AND CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO SUCCESSIVELY REMOVE MAGAZINES FROM SAID SECOND CONVEYOR AT THE ELEVATED LEVEL, A ROCKER ARRANGEMENT FOR SUBSEQUENTLY MOVING THE MAGAZINES FROM THEIR OBLIQUE POSITION OT A VERTICAL POSITION, A CARRIER, MEANS ON SAID CARRIER FOR SUCCESSIVELY ENGAGING THE MAGAZINES WHEN IN THEIR ELEVATED VERTICAL POSITION, A PLURALITY OF GUIDE RODS, SAID CARRIER BEING DISPLACEABLY SUSPENDED FROM SAID GUIDE RODS, A FIRST MOTOR ON SAID CARRIER FOR DISPLACING SAID CARRIER ALONG SAID GUIDE RODS, AND A SECOND MOTOR ON SAID CARRIER FOR INVERTING SAID ENGAGING MEANS ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS RELATIVE TO SAID GUIDE RODS WHILE SAID CARRIER IS BEING DISPLACED WHEREBY EACH MAGAZINE IN SAID CARRIER IS TURNED THROUGH 180* ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS. 